


The Roanoke Nightmare

by Dragonsire21



Category: Original Work
Genre: Horror, Nightmare, One Shot, Original Fiction, Other, Roanoke Colony, Writing Prompt, reddit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-08-14 21:11:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8029102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonsire21/pseuds/Dragonsire21
Summary: I posted this as a response to a Reddit writing prompt. See the original prompt here --> https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/52kk9j/wp_you_know_what_happened_to_the_lost_colony_of/





	The Roanoke Nightmare

I remember this place. The nightmares never stop, the screams, the visceral shouting from far off in the woods, these people had no chance. It was centuries ago, why do they insist on showing me this now? As I walked the streets of the infamous Roanoke colony I could only feel terror, a fear unlike any other.

People stood frozen in place, yet the sounds, the smells, they knew no sense of time. I felt watched, like something didn't want me there. Everything around me was so hostile and evil, I could only feel for these poor souls. I could smell iron in the air. I was sure I wasn't near any smithing stations anywhere, but then it hit me when I saw the red trickling substance running like a hellish brook through the cobblestone streets. Every so often someone would run past me, but I could only hear their agonizing screams. They were probably still two blocks away stuck forever in a terrified run, never to get anywhere, never to escape the inevitable.

I heard crashing coming from one of the small houses up on a hill. Maybe these were the ones, the ones I could actually save, do something about. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. The house seemed to grow farther from me the faster I ran, almost as if it were taunting me by moving on its own. This street seemed endless, but finally I reached the front door. I could barely catch my breath before I kicked open the door, nearly falling flat on my face when the latch just gave in with no resistance. There was blood fucking everywhere, I had no idea what to make of it. The air was so pungent with it that it could stain my lungs if I breathed it enough. Was I too late? No, I couldn't have been, these people couldn't be saved, who was I kidding? It was a wasted effort. Strangely there were no bodies to be found. I tried to search the house, but the sight of this tragedy was just too much. I couldn't bear the stench any longer, I needed out.

My search for any survivors was growing more frantic. More and more I began to feel as though I am only being lead on, what am I to do to save a statue? These people are practically frozen in time like a fucked up museum display and still I have hope that there is something I could do. For all I know I could just be naive about the whole situation, but now isn't the time to worry about it. I continued down these tormented streets with little hope of helping anybody. Their screams grew less frequent, with only the occasional shriek piercing my ears from a distance. Suddenly I heard what could only be described as a quick gust of wind whoosh by from behind me. I quickly spun around but of course nothing was there, but now I couldn't help but feel uneasy. I couldn't let my guard down now, something was definitely going on here. A black mass practically flew from the woods and passed underneath a lantern lighting the street with enough speed to make it sway on its hook. A woman cowering in fear on the street corner was overtaken by this hostile darkness, then left mangled on the street in a bloody heap. The shadow continued it's path of destruction around a corner, where I lost sight of it. What the hell else could this place throw at me?

One by one people's ravaged bodies began lining the streets where once they stood frozen and perpetually fearing for their lives. These creatures would come from the woods, kill a few civilians then just as quickly disappear into the pitch darkness where they once came from. It was happening so fast I couldn't even process it before someone else was turning up dead where they stand. I locked my sights on a particular hominid-like creature shuffling up the street ahead of me. I followed him, shouting and cursing him out trying to get his attention. It was like I didn't exist to him, either he was really good at ignoring his surroundings or I was completely invisible to this little wretch. He carried a small blade in his right hand-- claw...? Fuck, I think even saying it had a bone in his arm would be pushing it. It stopped at a single tree trunk by the water and began to carve something. This crude, yet impressively legible word was one that I knew all too well. As he finished carving it he twisted his head towards me with a disgusting crack and bared his extremely gnarled, jagged smile at me. It put its sole finger to its lips and faded away like mist into the darkness.

When I finally awoke, I had a massive headache. I felt like someone had hit me in the back of the head with a rock or something. I was leaning against a tree, definitely not where I remembered going to sleep before. When I turned to pick myself up my eyes leveled with a carving in the trunk that nearly stopped my heart. I felt the jagged letters with my fingers. I finally knew the true origin of that word... CROATOAN.


End file.
